Where Are They Now?

Derek Bruton Class of 1985

    If you grew up in Gilroy during the 1980’s and early 1990’s there was one name you thought of when you heardsomeone mention Gilroy Basketball: Derek Bruton. Derek is our all time leading scorer and our all time leading rebounder at GHS. Derek Bruton, had a stellar career at GHS (more specifics below) which in turn earned him a full ride scholarship to play basketball at Stanford University. I remember going to those Stanford games with Coach Carpenter and teammates to cheer Derek on. Those were some of the most memorable games and they really made all of us want to play harder. Derek is definitely a Gilroy success story and below I will share with you what Derek thinks about his playing days in high school and college and share with you what he is doing now.

 
Derek 1985                                Derek and daughter Sera (age 11) - 2008

Full Name:  Derek J. Bruton                              

Graduating class:  1985

Team Accomplishments: 

1983:  21-8 and Monterey Bay League co-champ, 2^nd round CCS upset win over Harbor High

1984:  24-5 and MBL co-champs

1985:  20-9 and 2^nd place in the MBL (lost to North Salinas in CCS semi-finals)

Any records, memorable games that you were instrumental in? Games – Huge win over Harbor High and their star, Jim Hart in 1983.  Beating St. Francis in 1984 on their home court in their annual holiday tournament (The opposing center talked trash the whole game and ironically I later became good friends with him).  As far as records, I recall setting the single game scoring record at Seaside (45 points and 20 pump fakes) in 1985.  Our homecoming win against North Salinas in 1984 was thrilling.  It was the first (and last) time I made a game-winning basket at the last second.  North Salinas started two 6’9” guys that year, and had Marty Munn at 6”6” who was the best in the league.  The game was also memorable because the Stanford assistant coach at the time (Bruce Pearl, now head coach for the Tennessee Vols) was in the stands scouting me and I recall seeing him celebrating with all the GHS fans after the game.

What do you remember most about GHS basketball?  My teammates, the great coaching of Tracy Carpenter, the bleachers overflowing with fans at every home game. 

What do you miss the most about GHS basketball?  Same as above!

How do you think GHS and/or basketball have affected your life?  Prepared me for basketball at the next level, taught me the value of teamwork, helped me understand that twice the amount of hard work makes up for half the amount of talent

Anyone within the high school/program that you would like to thank?  First and foremost, need to thank one of the best coaches and teachers of the game I’ve ever been around, Tracy Carpenter.  He really took GHS Basketball to the next level.  Tracy also was a great student of the game and never skimped on preparation.  He truly made me believe that I could make it to the next level.  Also, want to thank my teammates from 1982-85 who helped me become a better player and a better person.

How was it playing at Stanford? Big games?  Playing at Stanford and in the Pac-10 conference was an unforgettable experience.  The jump for some from high school ball to college is easy, but for many it is a big adjustment that takes a few years.  I was certainly part of the latter group.  Players are bigger, quicker, and more talented.  My college coach once told me, and I’m pretty sure he was joking, that he’d pick me to finish third in a race with a pregnant woman!!

While I didn’t experience the individual success at Stanford that I enjoyed while at GHS, I played with, and against, several very talented players and on some very successful teams. 

I also was part of a Stanford recruiting class that helped mark the beginning of Stanford’s perennial run in the NCAAs.  In 1989, Stanford participated in the NCAA tourney for the first time in 42 years.  We were ranked #12 in the country, with eventual NBA’ers like Todd Lichti, Adam Keefe, and Howard Wright on the team.  Now, I will say the lone NCAA game that I participated in was hardly memorable.  In fact, it was downright forgettable.  We entered the’89 tourney as a #3 seed and were ousted by the 14^th seed Siena (bonus points if you know where Siena is) by two points.  It still ranks as one of the biggest upsets in the NCAA tourney.  My girlfriend at the time was so upset by the loss that she broke up with me!!

A more enjoyable memory for me was my first collegiate start in my junior year.  We played North Carolina at the Dean Dome in front of 20,000+ fans.  The Tar heels were coached by Dean Smith and had a talented starting five that included JR Reid, Rick Fox, and Scott Williams.  On our very first offensive play, Stanford’s point guard drove the lane, Scott Williams went to help, and the guard dished to me for a dunk!  To me, a dunk in my first start was like a home run in your first at bat in the big leagues.  The next time down the court, I got the ball on the low post, took a little jump hook, and Williams goal-tended the shot!  Four points in less than a minute and I was getting pretty cocky.  But then I committed one of the cardinal sins of b-ball – I allowed Rick Fox to get an offensive rebound on a free throw (a.k.a. I didn’t block out) and all of sudden I was on the pine for the rest of the 1^st half.  We ended up leading UNC at halftime but lost the game.

Another remarkable experience was our win over the #1 ranked Arizona Wildcats in 1988.  The victory came during an era when the students rarely rushed the court after a win.  But this was Stanford’s first ever defeat of a #1 team, and it was quite a scene when the crowd, the famous Stanford band, and the players were dancing on the court after the win.  I still can picture Sean Elliot, Tom Tolbert, and Steve Kerr from Arizona getting caught up in the celebration at mid-court.

Explain how your devotion to your studies helped you?  Like basketball, my achievements in academics can be attributed more to hard work than natural talent.  I had to study harder and longer than a lot of my friends and classmates, but without a doubt it paid off in high school.  At Stanford I was surrounded by brilliant kids who considered themselves failures if they got a 1500 score on their SATs.  Between basketball and academics, at times I felt I was in over my head.  But I worked hard, remain focused, and graduated with a double major.

What are you doing now? I’ve been married now for 15 years to my lovely wife, Helen, who I met while paying pro ball in Japan (after college).  We have two daughters – Sera (11) and Grace (10) – and we live just north of San Diego, CA in Rancho Santa Fe.  I’ve worked in financial services for 18 years, the last ten years based in New York City and working on Wall Street   A year ago I moved back to California and now head up a business for LPL Financial, an independent brokerage firm in San Diego.

Do you still follow hoop?  I’m still a big hoops fan (more college ball than pros) so I get pretty pumped up this time of year.  I wish I could say that I get out there and play often, but I’d be lying.  For a while there (in my mid-late 30’s) I’d play every weekend at the YMCA, but then I realized that posting up 6”2” guys in their late 50’s on the weekend just wasn’t fun anymore (although it did wonders for my confidence!).  My passion now is tennis and I play a few times a week. 

Any advice you would like to share with future, current mustangs?  First, never lose focus on the importance of your studies and doing well in school.  Second, while many aspects of basketball are determined by factors outside your control, hard work and hustle are always in your control.  Commit yourself to be the hardest worker on and off the court, and you’ll find success more often than the most talented players.  Lastly, if there’s one lesson I learned from basketball that is as valuable today in my business life as it was in high school, it’s teamwork.  Without question, it’s one of the most important ingredients of success in life that transcends sports.

Any thing else you would like to express to parents, past players, alumni, current players, and coaches? (can address as many or as few as you would like).  I’d love to say hello to my former teammates and thank them again for the memories and all of those perfect passes they threw to me in the low post.  Guys like Alfonso Aguilar, Mike MacDonald, Ricardo Ruiz, Scott Roesch, Chuck McConnon, Joey Smith, Bennett Niizawa, Gary Miura, Doug Reed, and of course, my best friend from those days, Tom Camino.  I’ll thank my father who was a basketball great at GHS back in the days when Bob Hagen coached and has always been a great inspiration to me.  And I have to really thank Tracy Carpenter for persuading a clumsy, 6’7” freshman to at least try out for frosh basketball back in 1982.

Joseph Scheidler Class of 1992